New Art - Conceptual Realism - Italia Ruotolo

About Italia Ruotolo

October 15, 2012

Italia Ruotolo is an Italian artist living in Rome, Italy.

EducationMs. Ruotolo concentrated on classical studies in high school with an emphasis on the Greek poets and Dante Alighieri. Upon graduating she attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, where she earned a degree in painting.

When asked about the birth of her interest in the arts Italia states that she "was born with a pencil in her hand."

Influences

Italia cites as influences Leonard de Vinci, Salvador Dali, Dino Valis, and new generation of artists such as Dan Quintana, Brian Viveros, and Carles Gomila. She also likes Pop Surrealist works if there they have sufficient detail and obvious skill in the work.

Ms. Ruotolo paints women almost exclusively. As she relates, "the woman is art in itself." She also identifies with her subjects at some level stating that in many ways they are self portraits, if not of her face, of the feeling conveyed in that face.

"In my paintings there is always a lot of me, the things I see,my feelings and emotions and express it through a female figure it seems to be the most appropriate, honest choice." -- Italia Ruotolo

Techniques

Ms. Ruotolo paints oil on wooden panel as her preferred medium. Should a commissioned work require shipping she will paint on canvas for the weight savings. Her choice of materials and preparing those materials harkens back to centuries past. The underlying board or canvas is prepared with fish glue, plaster, linseed oil and vinegar as a solvent to the oil.

After the surface is prepared she will "draw" the subject with a fine tipped brush and then work layer upon layer until the painting is complete. She is very particular about the paint she uses stating that the color quality is of the utmost importance. She did not volunteer, nor did I ask, for the names of the maker of these pigments.

Her paintings can take anywhere from fifteen days to four months to complete depending on the size and level of detail. "A Blue Trip-Tych," for example, took four months to finish.

When you view her paintings (below) you'll see that her subjects very nearly leap off of the canvas.

The Future of the Artist (a quote)

"I foresee a gradual disappearance of the intermediaries between artist and audience. Till now the artist to succeed and broadcast their work needed a number of other people aimed to the purpose, nowadays, with the spread of the Internet, an artist can easily and effectively publicizing their job, get to the public and sell directly without obstacles . So in future we will have a direct contact between the artist and his audience." -- Italia Ruotolo

Themes or Subject Matter

Despite the fact that almost all of Italia's subjects are women she is not painting the subject, her women are a reflective surface for feeling rather than the image of an actual living person. In her way she is attempting to do is convey feelings or emotions upon the faces of her subjects.

"I have not a preferential theme, certainly I like more talk about moods than represent stories. The common thread is the female figure, however, my women are just the interpreters of moods that also can be antipathetic ranging from light to dark .

"In the first one I settled up an almost psychedelic image, a magical trip into a green liquid world where the woman watching at us from the picture act as a kind of sorceress who invites into a world of pure enjoyment with no gravity law.

"The other picture instead shows a woman in full conflict with herself ,fighting against a fixed idea she has to defeat. This is a picture of struggle where it is not clear if the figure wants to escape the darkness or on the contrary wants to lead the viewer into the darkness along with her." -- Italia Ruotolo

Click thumbnail to view full-size

Absent Absinthe - Esmeralda | Source

Forgive Me! | Source

Click thumbnail to view full-size

A Blue Trip-Tych | Source

Bewitched Words in a Secret Garden | Source

Not a Stupid Geisha Doll | Source

Poem of Lost Souls | Source

Raise Crows and they'll Peck Your Eyes Out | Source

Spring Fever | Source

The Danish Recipe | Source

The Kiss of Judas | Source

The Perfect Doll Fake Chinese | Source

The Promises You Made | Source

To the Girl With the Mousy Hair | Source

Show in the United States

Italia's last show in the United States was at the Alternative Cafe in Seaside, California.

The show, titled "Spring Fever 2", had an opening reception on March 9, 2012.

The Alternative Cafe1230 Fremont Blvd. Seaside, CA 93955-5734

Many of the works presented here are available at the Alternative Cafe site above. Simply go to the site and search for "Spring Fever 2."

Disclaimer

The author was not compensated in any way; monetarily, with discounts, or freebies by any of the companies mentioned.

Though the author does make a small profit from the advertising attached to this article, the author has no control over either the advertising or the contents of those ads.